Vacuum siphon pump

ABSTRACT

The vacuum siphon pump enables quantities of liquids to be pumped from one level to a higher one. The main feature being that little outside energy source is required for operation and liquids are pumped without breaking the vacuum and without the loss of prime. Quantities of liquids to be pumped are only dependent upon the size of the vacuum siphon pump, its components, conduits, and geometrical designs. The liquids to be pumped are stored in the conduits and emptied alternately as liquid flow is required.

O United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,889,704

Rubino June 17, 1975 VACUUM SIPHON PUMP Primar ExaminerWilliam L. Freeh 11v hlRb,42OSh Y [76] lnven or f l gl l gg an man Assistant Examiner-Mohard E. Gluck [22] Filed: July 12, 1974 ABSTRACT [2l] Appl. No.: 488,145

The vacuum siphon pump enables quantities of liquids to be pumped from one level to a higher one. The [52] US. Cl. .v 137/123 main f t being that little outside energy source is l f F043 10/00; Fl6L 43/00 required for operation and liquids are pumped without Field of Search 137/142, 148, 123, b e king the vacuum and without the loss of prime. 137/127; 222/416 Quantities of liquids to be pumped are only dependent upon the size of the vacuum siphon pump, its compol Reference-5 cued nents, conduits, and geometrical designs. The liquids UNITED STATES PATENTS to be pumped are stored in the conduits and emptied 117,750 8/187] de Lagillardie 137 142 alternately as liquid flow is required- 264.l97 9/1832 Saunders l37/l42 462,654 11/1871 Damron 137/142 3 Clalmsv 9 Drawmg Flgures VACUUM SIPHON PUMP SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention consists of a siphon having a suction pipe and a discharge pipe. Communication between the suction and discharge pipes is established through a valve therebetween. Said valve comprises a housing and a reciprocating plunger. The valve housing has a plurality of conduits means for temporary storage of liquid. Further. the conduits alternately provide a path of communication between the suction and discharge pipes through passages in said plunger. When the conduits are not alternately providing paths of communication between the suction and discharge pipes. the same fluid in them is permitted to drain into storage tanks via openings in the ends of the valve housing.

An object of this invention is to transport large quantities of liquid.

Another object is to store a portion of liquid in tanks at a higher elevation than its initial position.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent when considered in light of the following specification and drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric perspective view of the vacuum siphon pump.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vacuum siphon pump.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the vacuum siphon pump.

FIG. 4 is a right side elevation view of the vacuum siphon pump.

FIG. 5 is an oblique perspective view of the valve housing showing the six holes in the bottom and the guide slot in the top.

FIG. 6 is an oblique perspective view and partial section of the valve plunger showing the removable guide and angular drilled bores which are in line with the holes in the valve housing.

FIG. 7 is an oblique perspective view of the flow diagram showing the liquid flow when the plunger is in a forward position.

FIG. 8 is an oblique perspective view of the flow diagram showing the liquid flow when the plunger is in a rearward position.

FIG. 9 is an isometric perspective view of a Vacuum Siphon Pump using a rectangular design with the same general components of the cylindrical type.

The views in FIGS. 1 thru 10 identify the various components: 1 is the valve plunger, 2 is the valve housing, 3 is the rear conduit, 4 is the front conduit, 5 is the suction pipe, 6 is the discharge pipe and 7 is the guide slot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION With the plunger 1 in the rear position as shown in the flow diagram FIG. 8, meaning that the four bores in the plunger 1, FIG. 6 are aligned over the four rear holes in the housing 2, FIG. 5, the pump is now ready to be primed. Liquid is now introduced into the rear reservoir 3 thru the suction line 5. Front conduit 4 at this point is empty and at a standstill. During the priming. liquid travels thru the center left hole of the housing 2 thru the front lef bore of the plunger 1 and along the angularly drilled path and out the left rear bore of the plunger 1, down thru the left rear hole of the housing 2 to the rear conduit 3 until this conduit is completely full, into the rear right hole of the housing to the rear right bore in the plunger, thru the angularly drilled path to the right front bore in the plunger to the center right hole in the housing and down the discharge pipe 6 for a complete cycle.

Maintaining a vacuum seal throughout the system will make further priming unnecessary for operation of the vacuum siphon pump. This initial action is one of the few times an external source of energy is required.

After this operation is completed. the plunger 1 is now activated and moved by any suitable means toward the front until the four bores in the plunger 1 are aligned with the front four holes in the housing 2 as shown in FIG. 7. When this movement is complete the liquid in rear conduit 3 is immediately transferred thru an open rear portion in the housing 2 to a storage tank. The movement to the forward position will cause a second cycle thru the front conduit 4 as shown in FIG. 7.

When the plunger 1 is now moved to the initial rearward position as shown in FIG. 8, the liquid in front conduit 4 automatically drains into storage tank thru an open front portion in the housing 2.

This forward and rearward movement of the plunger 1 is repeated at a steady constant motion. This action is the very basic motion that takes the liquid at a lower level thru the suction line to a conduit and ultimately a portion of the liquid is discharged to a storage tank above the original height of the liquid. The remainder of the liquid is discharged through discharge pipe 6 to a level lower than the original height of the liquid. The quantities ofliquid to be moved from the lower level to a higher one are dependent upon the amount of liquid stored in the conduits 3 and 4.

The guide slot 7 has the important function of keeping bores in the plunger 1 and holes in housing 2 in perfect alignment. The necessary movement between forward and rearward positions of the plunger may be controlled by push bolts, shives and with energy supplied by the liquid stored in the storage tanks. If necessary or desired this movement may be accomplished by use ofa small auxilliary power source. FIG. 9 shows the identical two conduit vacuum siphon pump as explained previously. but the design is a rectangular shape. The plunger 1 operation is still forward and rear ward, with the liquid stored in reservoirs 3 and 4 and emptied into storage tanks as previously mentioned.

A substitution of various arrangements of pipings, fittings and valves operated mechanically, power driven or hand operated should be considered as possible aI ternate forms of my vacuum siphon pump.

While I have shown and described in considerable detail what I believe to be the preferred form of my invention. it is to be understood that such details are not restricted and that various changes may be made in the shape and arrangement of the components without departing from the broad scope of the invention, as in the claims.

I claim:

I. A siphon comprising an elongated suction pipe adapted to be inserted in a supply of liquid, valve means connected to the uppermost portion of said suction pipe. an elongated discharge pipe. said valve means connected to said discharge pipe at its uppermost portion and establishing a path of communication between said suction pipe and said discharge pipe. the lowermost portion of said discharge pipe extending to a lower level than the lowermost portion of said suction pipe; said valve means including a valve housing and a valve plunger, said housing having proximal, middle and distal pairs of holes in a lower wall thereof, said proximal pair of holes being connected externally of the housing to each other by first conduit means, said distal pair of holes being connected to each other externally of the housing by second conduit means. one of said middle pair of holes being connected to said suction pipe, the other of said middle holes being connected to said discharge pipe, said housing having first and second open ends;

said plunger having proximal and distal pairs of bores in a lower portion thereof, each of said proximal bores communicating with corresponding distal bores via path means in the plunger, means to reciprocate said plunger between a first and second position; in said first position said proximal holes communicating with said proximal bores, said middle holes communicating with said distal bores and said distal holes communicating with said second open end. whereby some fluid in said second conduit flows through said second open end;

in said second position said proximal holes communicating with said first open end whereby some fluid in said first conduit flows through first open end, said middle holes communicating with said proxi mal bores, and said distal holes communicating with said distal bores.

2. A siphon as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve housing and valve plunger are generally circular in cross section.

3. A siphon as claimed in claim 1, wherein said valve housing and valve plunger are generally rectangular in cross section. 

1. A siphon comprising an elongated suction pipe adapted to be inserted in a supply of liquid, valve means connected to the uppermost portion of said suction pipe, an elongated discharge pipe, said valve means connected to said discharge pipe at its uppermost portion and establishing a path of communication between said suction pipe and said discharge pipe, the lowermost portion of said discharge pipe extending to a lower level than the lowermost portion of said suction pipe; said valve means including a valve housing and a valve plunger, said housing having proximal, middle and distal pairs of holes in a lower wall thereof, said proximal pair of holes being connected externally of the housing to each other by first conduit means, said distal pair of holes being connected to each other externally of the housing by second conduit means, one of said middle pair of holes being connected to said suction pipe, the other of said middle holes being connected to said discharge pipe, said housing having first and second open ends; said plunger having proximal and diStal pairs of bores in a lower portion thereof, each of said proximal bores communicating with corresponding distal bores via path means in the plunger, means to reciprocate said plunger between a first and second position; in said first position said proximal holes communicating with said proximal bores, said middle holes communicating with said distal bores and said distal holes communicating with said second open end, whereby some fluid in said second conduit flows through said second open end; in said second position said proximal holes communicating with said first open end whereby some fluid in said first conduit flows through first open end, said middle holes communicating with said proximal bores, and said distal holes communicating with said distal bores.
 2. A siphon as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve housing and valve plunger are generally circular in cross section.
 3. A siphon as claimed in claim 1, wherein said valve housing and valve plunger are generally rectangular in cross section. 